PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Tom Long (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Rodney Wilkes (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Wilkes is bobbing his head along to his entrance song: Seven Nation Army. Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Long
vs
Wilkes

225 cm
23
185 lbs
3 - 3 - 0

198 cm
23
198 lbs
4 - 1 - 0

Good takedowns
Counter striker
Good chin

BJJ White Belt
Excellent MT
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 3 - 3 - 0, fighting out of Las Vegas, Tom Long!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 1 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Rodney Wilkes!
The judges for this bout are Tiny Johnson, Robert Twigg and Gwen Towbar.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Long swats away the attempt to clinch by Wilkes.
Nice sprawl there from Wilkes as Long shoots in.
A good leg kick by Wilkes.

Wilkes darts in and clinches Long up against the cage.
Wilkes lands a knee to the head.
Wilkes lands a knee to the body.
Wilkes unloads a knee to the mid-section. Long lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Wilkes can't break the clinch.

Wilkes breaks the clinch.
Wilkes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Long swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Long shoots for a double leg takedown but Wilkes sprawls well. He's pushed Long's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Wilkes clinches up against the cage.
Long tries for a takedown. No joy.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tom Long. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Long is breathing heavily.
Long tries for a takedown. No joy.
A knee to the head by Wilkes.
Wilkes scores with a knee to the head.
Wilkes looking to throw knees to the head but Long is blocking nicely.
Wilkes with a knee to the head.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Wilkes breaks the clinch.

The fight moves into the clinch position.
Wilkes scores with a knee to the head.
Wilkes crunches a lovely knee into Long's ribcage.
Wilkes lands a knee to the head.
Wilkes landing knees to the head.
Knees in the clinch landing for Wilkes.

Wilkes escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Long fails with a takedown attempt from distance.

Wilkes rushes Long and presses him up against the cage.
Wilkes lands a nice knee to the body.
Long can't get the takedown.
Wilkes lands a knee to the body.
Wilkes with an attempt at a knee that misses.

Wilkes escapes the clinch and we're back to striking.
Wilkes lands three nice shots there - that looked like it hurt!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Long shoots in looking for a takedown. Wilkes tries to sprawl out of it but Long keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Wilkes manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.

Wilkes clinches.
Wilkes lands a knee to the head.

Wilkes breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Wilkes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Long swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Wilkes misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Wilkes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Long swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Wilkes scoring well with a low kick there.
Long gets cracked there but stands up to it.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
Wilkes is looking to clinch but Long is avoiding it.
Long tries for a takedown but Wilkes sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Long shoots in looking for a takedown. Wilkes tries to sprawl out of it but Long keeps driving through. The fighters are pinned against the cage. Wilkes manages to get underhooks and after a bit of a struggle, circles away and we're back to standing.
Long really does look like a pencil wearing a pair of gloves. Let's hope he has a gameplan to suit that ridiculous body shape.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Wilkes tries to clinch but Long is having none of it.
Wilkes tries to clinch up but Long circles away and keeps his distance.
Horrible takedown by Long or perhaps it was just good defense by Wilkes which made him look bad.
Long takes a nice looking leg kick right on the meat of his thigh there.
Long chopped to the floor by a nice leg kick but he springs right back up before Wilkes can pounce on him.
Wilkes connects with a lovely right hand, straight down the pipe.

Wilkes clinches.

Wilkes breaks from the clinch.

Wilkes gets in close and instigates a clinch.
Wilkes throws a vicious knee straight up the middle but Long blocks it with crossed arms.
Wilkes connects with a nasty looking knee right to Long's face.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wilkes unloads a knee to the mid-section. Long lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Wilkes lands a knee to the head.
Wilkes with the Thai clinch, lands a knee to the head.

Wilkes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
This is turning into a torrid day at the office for Long. He's trying desperately to land a takedown but he's failing miserably and getting slapped silly on the feet to compound his misery.
Wilkes lands with a nice low kick. That'll leave a bruise.
Wilkes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Long swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Wilkes keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
Wilkes lands a jab to the nose.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for leaving it all in the cage!
Wilkes tries to clinch there but Long circles away.
Wilkes keeps the fight standing with a nice sprawl.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
Wilkes fails with an attempt to clinch.
Wilkes stuffs the takedown attempt from Long. Long gets slowly back to his feet.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodney Wilkes dominated that round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action.

Long closes this distance looking for a takedown but Wilkes circles away.
Nice shot lands for Wilkes.
Wilkes fakes high and swings low for a body shot but Long manages to avoid it.

Wilkes clinches.
Long changes levels and goes for a takedown here. Wilkes fights it off and pushes away nicely.
Wilkes doesn't manage to clinch there - Long circles away.
Long shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tom Long. That's going to take a lot out of him.

Wilkes forces Long back against the cage and clinches.
Wilkes using the Thai plumb to throw knees but Long has his back arched nicely, preventing the strike.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
Wilkes with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Long wants a takedown.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Wilkes misses with a knee to the head.

Wilkes breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Long fails with the takedown.
Wilkes is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Long tries for a takedown but Wilkes sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Wilkes tries to clinch up.
Wilkes lands a two punch combo.
Wilkes throws a two punch combo that lands nicely.
Wilkes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Long swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Long keeping at a good range here, avoiding a leg kick.
Wilkes fails with an attempt to clinch.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Long.
The fight stays on the outside here - Wilkes looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Long keeps the fight on the outside.
Long shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Wilkes but Wilkes pushes him off and we're back to square one.
A good leg kick by Wilkes.
Wilkes plants his feet and lands a nice head kick!

Wilkes clinches.
Wilkes tries a knee to the head but Long blocks it.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Long avoiding damage as Wilkes throws knees to the body.
Long drops down looking for an ankle pick but Wilkes pulls his leg out and moves away.
Wilkes tries to clinch there but Long circles away.
Rodney Wilkes seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Long slips a jab and a cross from Wilkes.
Long shoots for a double leg takedown but Wilkes sprawls well. He's pushed Long's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.

Wilkes takes the fight into the clinch.
Long has hold of a leg and is looking for a trip takedown. Wilkes avoids it nicely though and we remain in the clinch.
Wilkes misses with a knee strike.
Long keeps control of Wilkes as he tries to wriggle out of the double underhooks.

Wilkes breaks from the clinch.
Long fails with a takedown attempt from distance.
Nice sprawl there from Wilkes as Long shoots in.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Wilkes throws a series of punches but Long avoids them all with ease.
Wilkes tries to clinch up.
Wilkes tries to close the distance and clinch up but Long swats him away and circles back towards the center.
Wilkes is looking to clinch.

Wilkes closes the distance and clinches.
Wilkes landing knees to the body. They look like they could hurt.
Wilkes throws a knee to the head but misses.
Long is working for takedown but Wilkes is calmly controlling the position for now.
Wilkes with an attempt at a knee that misses.
Wilkes lands a knee to the head.
Wilkes tries a knee to the head but Long blocks it.
Wilkes unloads a knee to the mid-section. Long lets out a prehistoric sounding urrrrgh.
Wilkes stops a takedown attempt from Long.
Wilkes scores with a knee to the head.
Wilkes wants to break free but Long has control.
Wilkes landing knees to the head.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Rodney Wilkes showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Long feints and as Wilkes raises his hands in defense, Long changes levels and drives through with a takedown into guard.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.
Wilkes wants to get back to his feet but Long is in a dominant position and won't allow it.
Both fighters really going for it on the ground here!

Long drops back looking for a leg! Wilkes is in trouble here! The fighters roll with the hold and Wilkes manages to kick Long off! Long jumps back into Wilkes's guard.
Long prevents Wilkes from getting back to his feet.
Long tries to free his leg and advance position but Wilkes is retaining full guard.
Wilkes wants to stand and escape but Long is having none of it.
Wilkes takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

The referee has ruled that neither fighter is active enough on the ground and has stood them back up.
Wilkes doesn't manage to clinch there - Long circles away.
Wilkes throws a nice outside leg kick.
Long fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Long keeps the fight on the outside.
Wilkes tries to clinch there but Long circles away.
Rodney Wilkes seems to be getting the better of the standup.
Wilkes throws out a loose jab but Long uses good head movement to avoid it.
Long shoots in for a takedown but Wilkes shows good takedown defense.
Wilkes tries to clinch up but Long circles away and keeps his distance.
A really sloppy takedown attempt there from Long.
That's three failed takedown attempts in the round for Tom Long. That's going to take a lot out of him.
Long showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Wilkes.
Wilkes tries to clinch but is not successful on this occasion.

Long shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. Long showed some decent athleticism there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Long seems to be working for a kimura but Wilkes defends the submission attempt.

Long is trying a forearm choke… I don't think that's going to do much at this level of the game.
Wilkes wants to get back to his feet.

Long is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.
Long stops Wilkes from getting back to his feet.
Wilkes really doesn't want to stay on the ground with Long. If he can't get it back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before he'll be tapping out.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Wilkes is defending against the submission attempts here by Long.
Wilkes is trying to stand up here but Long is controlling him well.

Long is looking for a kimura but he's never going to get it from there.

Wilkes kicks off Long and gets to his feet.
Long shoots in for a takedown. "I don't think so" says Wilkes as he avoids it easily.
Wilkes is looking to slow Long down with leg kicks.
Wilkes feints with a shoulder and throws a nice leg kick to Long's calf.
Wilkes tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Wilkes has been the more effective fighter overall so far.
Wilkes doesn't manage to clinch there - Long circles away.
Long throws a looping left and ducks down for a takedown. He's got his arms around Wilkes's waist but Wilkes gets an underhook and avoids the takedown by throwing Long off to one side.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Long fails to land the takedown.
Wilkes tries to clinch but Long moves out of range.
Wilkes misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Wilkes rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Long moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
Long is hobbling a little on that front leg after taking quite a few leg kicks so far in this fight.
Long shoots in for a takedown but Wilkes shows good takedown defense.
Rodney Wilkes is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.

Long gets a takedown into half guard.
Wilkes wants to get back to his feet.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Long wants to pass the guard but Wilkes is defending well.
Tom Long has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!

Long looking for a kimura but he'll have to free his other leg if he wants to finish that. Perhaps he's just using it as a distraction technique.

And that's the end of the fight!
That was a close round. You could make an argument for either fighter but I would give it to Tom Long.
I think Wilkes has won this one but let's see whether the judges agree with me. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.

Judge Tiny Johnson scores the fight for Rodney Wilkes!
Judge Robert Twigg scores the fight for Rodney Wilkes!
Judge Gwen Towbar scores the fight for Rodney Wilkes!

Rodney Wilkes wins by unanimous decision!